When

October 6 - 7, 2023

Where

One University Avenue, Mechanicsburg,
PA 17055

HOMECOMING & Family Weekend 2023 / what's going on

Whether you are a current student, recent alum, Golden Grad or honorary member of the Messiah family, we hope that you are excited to reconnect, reminisce and renew your affinity towards Messiah University during Homecoming & Family Weekend 2023! On Friday, October 6th, we welcome back our Golden Grads and will honor the Class of 1973 at our Golden Grad Luncheon.

On Saturday, October 7th, we honor the classes of ’83, ’93, ’98, ’03, ’13 and ’23 who will celebrate their milestone reunions on Saturday at Reunion Row. All are invited to enjoy Homecoming favorites such as Varsity Athletic Competitions, Lifelong Learning Sessions, food trucks, the Whiteout March and our SAB Homecoming Coffeehouse, or check the schedule for new events for 2023!

Register

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Early birds who register by September 13th will be entered into a drawing to receive Messiah gear, gift cards and more!

*Early registration helps us to ensure we are ready for your visit. There is no cost to register, but a few activities involve a registration fee. These items, along with a specific cost, will be listed on the registration page. All those who register by Sept. 13th will be placed in our early bird prize drawing. Prizes include Messiah gear, gift cards and more. Don’t miss out, register today!

Click to register

Event Schedule / don't forget it

9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Aughinbaugh Gallery

Climenhaga Fine Arts Center
Body, Beauty & Brokenness: Bruce Herman This exhibition traces the presence of the figure in the work of Bruce Herman, from Biblical characters and historical figures to friends and family. Herman’s compelling paintings wrestle with representation and abstraction as he explores what it means to exist as divine image bearers in a broken world. Included in this collection is a series of paintings from the extraordinary collaborative project “Ordinary Saints” by Bruce Herman, Malcom Guite and J.A.C. Redford.
Alumna Highlight: Hannah Steele
Recent paintings from Hannah Steele's thesis work for an MFA in painting at Boston University
9:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Class of 1973 Reunion

Hostetter Chapel
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Golden Grad Lunch Check-In

Martin Commons
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Golden Grad Luncheon

Martin Commons
1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Class of 1973 Informal Reunion Gathering

Continuing in Hostetter Chapel following the luncheon
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Campus Tour

Optional for Golden Grad guests
7:00 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball vs. Shenandoah Valley

Hitchcock Arena
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Homecoming Check-In & Information

Eisenhower Campus Center
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Men’s Club Soccer Alumni Match

Rec Field #1
9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Aughinbaugh Gallery

Climenhaga Fine Arts Center
Body, Beauty & Brokenness: Bruce Herman This exhibition traces the presence of the figure in the work of Bruce Herman, from Biblical characters and historical figures to friends and family. Herman’s compelling paintings wrestle with representation and abstraction as he explores what it means to exist as divine image bearers in a broken world. Included in this collection is a series of paintings from the extraordinary collaborative project “Ordinary Saints” by Bruce Herman, Malcom Guite and J.A.C. Redford.
Alumna Highlight: Hannah Steele
Recent paintings from Hannah Steele's thesis work for an MFA in painting at Boston University
10:00 a.m.

Alumni Women’s Field Hockey Pick-up

Anderson Field
10:00 a.m.

Alumni Women’s Soccer Pick-up

Practice Fields
10:00 a.m.

Alumni Wrestling Practice

Sollenberger Sports Center, Wrestling Room
10:00 a.m.

Alumni Women’s Lacrosse Pick-up

Lacrosse Turf
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Women & Men’s Alumni Tennis Match

Criste Courts
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Archives Open House

Murray Library, Lower Level
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Athletics Hospitality Tent: A Warmer Welcome

We invite all former Messiah athletes as well as parents of current athletes to stop by, hear about some exciting Athletics improvements to Starry Field Complex, and pick up a free gift!

Tent location adjacent to Falcon Hut.

10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Oakes Museum Open House & Children’s Craft

Jordan Science Center, Oakes Museum
10:30 a.m.

“Earthkeepers” Nature Walk

Departs from Oakes Museum
11:00 a.m.

Alumni Softball Pick-up

Starry Athletic Fields, Softball Field
11:00 a.m.

Symphony Orchestra Concert & Instrument Petting Zoo

High Center
11:00 a.m.

Alumni Men’s Soccer Pick-up

Practice Fields
11:00 a.m.

Powderpuff: Seniors vs. First Years

Rec Field #1
11:00 a.m.

Alumni Baseball Pick-up

Starry Athletic Fields, Baseball Field
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Alumni Swim Meet

Swimming alumni race against current members of the team in the Natatorium.  Alumni and current members' families are invited to attend a picnic following the event. Questions?  Email Joshua at jclarke@messiah.edu
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Various Open Houses

Collaboratory & Engle Center
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Prospective Student Pizza Reception

Admissions & Welcome Center 310 – Tours follow reception
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Food Trucks

Available in the Visitors Parking next to the Admissions & Welcome Center
12:00 p.m.

Alumni Men’s Volleyball Match

Hitchcock Arena
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Li’l Falcon Zone

Center Campus Lawn & Tent
12:15 p.m.

Powderpuff: Juniors vs. Sophomores

Rec Field #1

1:00 p.m.

Campus Tour

Departs from Admissions & Welcome Center 310
1:00 p.m.

Women’s Field Hockey vs. Eastern University

Anderson Field
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Alumni Men & Women’s Ultimate Frisbee

Upper Baseball Field
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Computing, Mathematics & Physics Reunion

Frey 145
1:30 p.m.

Powderpuff: Championship Game

Rec Field #1
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Lifelong Learning Sessions

  • Dwayne Safer (Finance Lab)
    • Finance and Market Trends
      • A deep dive into the global macroeconomic environment, including the events that precipitated the current market setup and what to expect going forward.  Discussion will include broader macro issues like inflation, Central Bank policy and U.S. dollar hegemony as well as implications on the equity and fixed income markets.  Session will be interactive and all questions are welcome!
  • Valerie Lemmon (Boyer 131)
    • The Transformative Power of Happiness
      • True happiness is more than a temporary feeling. It is a virtue based on what you value, and it can help you achieve your goals. In this workshop you will learn about the science of happiness, as well as how to use gratitude and resilience to cope with stress.
  • Lynn Bigelow (Frey 150)
    • Can AI protect your home and family?
      • We will look at the far-reaching impact of AI on everyday life, from personalized recommendations to smart home devices to healthcare.   While these advancements offer great potential,  they also bring growing concerns regarding data privacy and security.   We will discuss the importance of raising awareness about online privacy risks and empowering individuals with knowledge and tools to protect their personal information, highlighting strategies and best practices to enhance online security,
  • Kris Hansen Kieffer & Kevin Ogden (Boyer 130)
    • Why Movement Matters
      • Many of us find ourselves constantly bombarded with fitness and wellness information, recommendations, and mandates.  We hope to provide you with some basic, science-based information about why movement is important for our health and well-being and some practical take aways for you to consider implementing for yourself.  You might be surprised at how impactful a few minutes of daily movement can be.
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Reunion Row Reception

Reunion Row provides an opportunity for ALL ALUMNI, regardless of graduation year, to reconnect with classmates during Homecoming Weekend.  While we are extending an invitation to ALL ALUMNI to join us at Reunion Row, a special token will be provided to alumni celebrating milestone reunions (classes of '83, '93, '98, '03, '13, '23).  Reunion Row will take place in Brubaker Auditorium from 2:00-4:00pm on October 7th. *Note: While registration is not required, it is requested as we hope to provide light refreshments to all guests.  This is a drop-in reception with no specific programming.    
3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Food Trucks

Available at Starry Field
3:00 p.m.

Varsity Men’s Soccer vs. Widener University

Shoemaker Field
3:00 p.m.

Alumni Men’s Lacrosse Pick-up

Lacrosse Turf
3:00 p.m.

Alumni/Concert Choir Reunion Concert

High Center, Parmer Hall
4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Biological Sciences Reunion

Jordan 150/152
5:00 p.m.

White-Out March

Hostetter Chapel
6:00 p.m.

Varsity Women’s Soccer vs. Widener University

Shoemaker Field
7:30 p.m.

Jazz Ensembles Concert

High Center, Parmer Hall
8:00 p.m.

“Who Will Carry the Word” – Theatre Performance

For tickets, please contact the box office at 717-691-6036 or visit www.messiah.edu/tickets.
8:30 p.m.

SAB Homecoming Coffeehouse

Larsen Student Union

Welcome Home

We are so excited to welcome you back to campus for Homecoming & Family Weekend and look forward to reconnecting and reminiscing with you!
One University Avenue,
Mechanicsburg,
PA 17055

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We are so excited to welcome you back to campus for Homecoming & Family Weekend and look forward to reconnecting and reminiscing with you!

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Register now / reserve your spot!

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Contact Us / stay in touch!

One University Avenue
Suite 3023
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

homecoming@messiah.edu

717.796.5252

@ 2021 Messiah University